With infinite, slow patience, I stretched out my leg, easing the cramp that knotted at the hip. Sitting stationary in a crouch for hours and hours on end did not make for a happy skeleton. No matter how much endurance training one mastered.

Especially since I once took a cluster of shrapnel in that leg. With an inaudible sigh, I refocused on the simple wire snare that lay in my binoc's sights.

Still nothing.

Just like the last three days. I'd now spent more time in Tevos's villa than all three of the other assassins combined. And never caught sight of the … cat.

Despite my firm control, a flare of frustration flowed through me. Would that they let me have my gun. I'd find a tall place outside of the compound where that creature could visit its haunts without my scent warning it of my presence. And then I'd just wait.

The asari councilor's feline problem could be solved with a single mass-accelerated round, if not for the silly restriction imposed on m—

"Whatcha doin'?"

Startled, I nearly fell out of the tree. Catching myself, I felt my scales prickle with chagrin. So intent on four-legged prey that I never heard the approach of slippered biped feet. A mistake that could have cost my life in more dangerous circumstances. I looked down out of my roost and saw a tiny asari child standing on the roots below.

Her big blue eyes stared, fearless, challenging my right to be there. Her little chin firmed as the silence stretched on. "Well?"

I sat straight, regaining my equilibrium. Dredging up a believable lie, I said, "I'm … supervising the restock of the menagerie."

The young asari swallowed this with stunning acceptance. "Oh. Mother hired you. Well, you shouldn't be in the tree. Mother will get mad, then there'll be a punishment." Her expression told me she sought to save me the trouble resulting from Breaking A Rule. Her hand touched the trunk in beseeching empathy. "I know."

My lips tried to curl into a smile at the corners. "I wasn't aware climbing the tree was forbidden. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, all gracious courtesy. Scratching at her cheek, she offered, "'M Cora."

"Thane," I say, with grave civility. "Councilor Tevos is your mother?"

"Yup. Only she's at the … the Cit-a-del." A tiny pout formed on Cora's round, blue face. Stormy thoughts gathered in the little asari's eyes as she appeared to brood.

At a loss, I looked around the garden, then asked, "Do you not have a … minder?"

"Oh! That's Dree. He's slow." A mischievous smile erased the pout like water over a sand sculpture. Her head tilted as her arms dropped behind her in a coquettish little pose of defiance. "I tricked him."

"That's not very nice," I admonished, with mildest reproach.

She had the grace to look down as she replied, "I know. I got tired of being cooped up in the house all the time. I wanted to feel the sunshine. And then I saw you and I've never met a drell in person before, so I had so many questions. Still do. Like, what's that on your face?"

My hand touched the rig over my nose and mouth. "A … particulate filter."

"Why you wearin' it?"

"In case something in the air makes me sick."

"Oh. Do drell get sick alot?" The avid curiosity in her face drew her even closer, until she leaned on the tree. "Cuz that would be sad. Are you going to get sick? Should I call a medtech? Do you have a fever? Want some tea? My mother always makes me tea when I get sick. Do you like tarac-honey in your tea?"

Just as the flood of quickfire questions started to overwhelm me—

A low monotonous voice sounded through the garden from the villa's open door. "With growing alarm: Cora? Are you out here?"

Cora rolled her eyes and called back, "Ye-es, Dree! I'm here."

"With consternation: come back inside and finish your lessons. You know your mother does not want you outside while the contractors work," the girl's minder droned. I could just see an elcor forefoot at the edge of the villa's patio. "With concern: it could be dangerous."

"Fine," she huffed. "I was just talking to my new friend, Thane."

"With amusement: another new friend? This one named Thane? What an incredible imagination you have, Cora."

With a frustrated little growl, Cora stomps over to the house. "He's not imaginary. He's a drell and he's up this tree. Just come out here and loo—"

"With disbelief and growing exasperation: a drell in a tree? Last week, it was a dodecahorn in your bath. The week before, you swore a krogan warlord stole the last treacle-pop from the freezer. And then there was that, what did you call it, that cat. All with names and backstories several chapters long." From the sound of it, the elcor turned back toward the villa's interior. "With stern resolve: come along. Now."

Having frozen in place, I smiled as Cora waved goodbye to me, her face fallen with resignation. Even so, she spared an endearing grin for me.

Left alone once more, I now knew why firearms had been prohibited. Even in the cleanest hunt, there remained the risk of collateral damage.

Tevos was protecting her daughter by minimizing the possibility of flying ricochets and flesh-shredding shrapnel.

I would do the same for my son. And a thousand times more.

... The bait is gone.

I sighed as I took in the fact that my target chose the very moment of my distraction to come and denude my trap. Without tripping it, either, the damn clever beast. Cursing in silence, I dropped out of the tree to go reset the snare.

Creeping through the underbrush, slow and careful as an Yr-sloth, I froze. There!

Finally! A wash of triumph flows over my neck frills as I spotted the feline crouching over its latest prey, munching away at the bird's split carcass. I frowned as I took in the cat's overall poor condition. As blurry as the dossier photo had been, it made this animal appear quite well-muscled and sleek, proud. That compared to what I gazed upon now seemed like night and day.

Hipbones jutted out through slack skin and lackluster fur that seemed to be coming off in patches on the legs. Every time the cat took a breath, I wagered I could count every rib if I wished.

I am not without pity.

And that bolt of sympathy struck me then, along with the realization that the local fauna clearly lacked some vital nutritional element the cat needed. No wonder it killed with abandon. Hunger must be driving it mad.

Better to end it with quick mercy, for starvation is a hellish way to die. For any creature.

My blackened knife slides out, silent thanks to its oiled sheath. I played out my plan in my mind, going over possible scenarios, all ending with a single plunge through the center mass, then a follow-up under the jaw and into the brain, if necessary. I just needed to get close enough to touch it—

Fingertips ghosted along the very edge of the cat's inch-long fur. The cat lifted its head and gave me a hard stare and a hiss, but, intent on its meal and its ravenous hunger, its mouth dropped back down to tear off a bite of pastel-pinkish meat.

Emboldened by the cat's seeming acceptance of my intrusion, I let my hand fall fully onto the animal's coat.

It's … soft.

Far softer than I thought possible. Amazed, I cannot resist a short stroking along the cat's protruding spine. Like silk, it tickled my hand and I smiled. Then my smile faltered with sorrow. I whispered, "Unfortunate beast, it would have been far better for you if you were never brought here, wouldn't it?"

An … urge to comfort overtook me and I let my hand run the full length of the cat's back, from head to tail. And again. A rumbling noise erupted from the cat's throat, somehow telling me that the cat approved.

Happy I could at least give it some enjoyment at the end, I readied myself for the killing blow. The sequence played out in my mind's eye again, just as I—

Teeth!

Claws!

Pain tore through my hand as the cat lunged, perforating me like mesh as it swarmed up my arm and flew at my face. With an embarrassing break of discipline, I cried out as I tried to fend it off with my knife. It slashed at my face over and over again, hooking and ripping the hide between scales, while at this point, I only sought to get it off me. Somehow, my mask went flying off into the creeping vines.

The cat squalled in rage and terror as it leapt off my brow and scrambled up the side of the house with astonishing agility.

With a snarl at my own idiocy, I clambered up after it, mood darkening to murderous. Over the red-clay shingles, I chased a grey shadow, quick as lightning. It dodged me when I cut a courtyard corner with a long leap.

It slithered between my legs, doubling back to escape my reaching fingers. Over and back, I pursued, until I had it cornered on the edge of the roof.

Fur fluffing and standing straight out, the cat spat and snarled, slashing the air between us whenever I got too close, or moved too suddenly. I was in no hurry to get back within reach of its tiny, but effective weaponry. Blood flowed down my face from numerous wounds. Not to mention the damage to my one hand. I did not look forward to that assessment.

Steeling myself for more pain, I surged toward it. True to form, it leapt back at me, already driving its claws into my flesh. Like water, it defied my grip. Bending into impossible shapes to avoid grappling hands. I fell to a knee to try to pin it, but it squirmed right out of my fingers like an oiled balloon.

The cat rolled down the loosened shingles and off the roof, falling with a yowling shriek. I lunged after it, with the irrational compulsion to catch it before it plummeted to its death.

Before my eyes, the cat flexed its long body midair so all feet pointed towards the dirt twelve feet below. Dumbfounded with incredulity, I watched as it landed, unharmed, and bolted off into the brush.

Only then did I become aware of how my lungs heaved, how my jaw hung open, slack with shock.

A new feeling grew in me, and burst from my dry throat in a chuckle.

Respect.

Later, as I meditated in the garden, I heard—

"What happened to you?!" Cora's dismay trebled in her juvenile voice. Yet I cannot help but hear the soft note of guilt mixed in the exclamation.

I reached up to touch the disinfectant and medigel-packed cuts, swollen hand throbbing. Then I looked at her and smiled. "I guess I shouldn't have climbed that tree."

The amazement in her eyes waxed into humor as she burst into laughter. I followed with softer mirth.

Cora leaned over the small water dish to pet the cat. Strangely, the cat did not seem to mind. No flying teeth or claws found the small asari's fragile blue skin. The creature made a piteous 'maow' sound as it arched into her palm.

I listened close as she said, "I know. I'm sorry. I don't know how to fix it. I brought you a bit of everything we got in the kitchen." The utter sadness in her tone wrenched at my heart. "Nothing works. And mother doesn't care."

The cat climbed into her lap and butted her chin. In the dusklight, I could see the shimmer of tears in Cora's eyes. The girl wept over the shipwrecked cat, saying, "She says I can't even go near you, but I gotta try. You're-you're suffering. I gotta try."

She continued, "I think Thane is here to hurt you. Like that volus and his icky nets. And that scary lady with the spiky heels. And I think it's awful cuz I like him. I don't think he's bad. Sometimes I wonder if he's got kids. I bet he does. Anyway, watch out, okay?"

Guilt roared in me, a fire in my gut as I realized the girl is observant, and that she'd been observing me. Are my aims so transparent? Perhaps. Or she simply followed the logical conclusion if she was already aware of my predecessors' objective. What else could she think of the arrival of yet another stranger stalking around her garden?

Sighing in a self-deprecating manner, I stood and walked away from the girl communing with her otherworldly companion. I followed a hunch and found … complication.

And found a place to sit and think. To find clarity of purpose. I opened my omnitool and shot off a message to Heiros, 'Find my contact among the humans.'

'Done.' A few minutes later, she said, 'He wants to know what you want.'

With a sour smile, I messaged her back, 'Ask him where I might find a sample of 'cat food.'"

Two days later, I returned and sought out Cora, and found her sitting at the very edge of her 'allowed range.' The patio. She smiled in greeting and patted a place beside her, indicating that I should sit. I did, and said, "Thank you for the courtesy."

Continuing her coloring in of geometric shapes, she giggled and replied, "Mother says we should always be hospi-hospita-bub-ble."

"Hospitable," I corrected, with a kind smile.

"Yep. That." She hummed as her hand stroked the paper with dyed wax. After a bit, she paused. "You got kids?"

"I have a son. Kolyat is his name."

"He with his mother?"

"Yes." The flash of envy in her eyes made my heart do a strange double tattoo. "I imagine at this very moment, he is asking his mother to sleep in our bed, having awoken from 'bad dreams.' But really because he likes to sleep in our bed." To the question in her eyes, I said, "It is night on Kahje. The world where we live."

"Oh …," she opined, looking down. A long silence broke over us, during which the only sound came from her scratching hand and small formics singing in the grasses. Then she tensed and blurted, "Don't hurt Tom, Thane!"

"Tom?"

"My cat. Millie said for me to take good care of him, but I don-don't know h-how!" she nearly wailed, tears cresting and falling down her cheeks. They splattered all over her clever drawings. I reached over to rescue them, then squeezed her hands, stroking in soothing patterns until her distress lessened.

"Who is Millie?" I asked, honestly curious.

"She's my human friend. Her father's one of-of the envoys. She gave me Tom cuz I told her I was so lonely on Thessia." Her sobs started anew, big heaving ones that hurt me to hear. I have never been immune to little ones' ordeals and gathered her into my arms, humming a soft lullaby as she cried. Eventually, it petered out to gasping gulps.

"You know Tom is in pain?" I asked. She nodded at my chest and pulled away with a sharp sniffle. I bore a bit deeper, knowing it for a necessary cruelty, "You know he's dying?"

A choked sound came out of her as she again nodded.

I said, giving her a look of sincerity, "Let me help?"

So, she had an interloper with her during her nightly ritual with Tom, the cat. I sat next to her as she called to her beloved, suffering pet. The grey shadow that detached itself from a nearby post padded to her with surprising aplomb, considering his state. In the dim glow of the setting sun, I saw now that his eyes were not yellow, but clearest blue. Reflected light made the pupils gleam a citrine hue.

The dark mask framed a clever and once handsome face. The charcoal points at the ends of each ear and covering all four feet intrigued me. Their purpose a sort of camouflage? To break up Tom's silhouette to make him a more effective hunter?

"So, you hold out your hand and let him sniff or not, like a proper introduction, then see if he'll let you pet him. But not too much or he'll get all jittery, that's what Millie said. She said you gotta kinda let him pet himself on your hand. If he does that, then you're friends." She made it sound so simple.

The cat eyed me warily, no doubt remembering our scuffle across the rooftops. Or that I'd dared pet him without prior approval. But I did as Cora instructed and let the cat decide if he liked me enough to let me touch him.

After an imperious chuff, Tom deigned to rub his cheek along the edge of my palm. I smiled as he did it again. I cannot deny a touch of delight to be allowed to run my fingers through that silky fur and marvel at the stiff cups of the cat's ears as they flicked at my talons.

"He's purring. That means he likes you," Cora said, laughing.

"I believe I am growing fond of him, as well," I replied. Then I reached into a compartment at my belt and pulled free a metal can. Using the key in the lid, I peeled it open and put some of the contents in the water dish, mixing it with the fluid to soften any hardened bits of preserved … —I peered at the can—chicken.

Like an arrow, the cat shot from Cora's lap to the bowl, diving face first into it with a r-r-rowling purr. He didn't come up until he'd licked every vestige free. Then Tom rubbed all along my knees and arms, begging for more. I ladled out a bit at a time, knowing what too much food all at once could do to a starved body. It took a full three hours before I was satisfied that Tom had eaten just enough to be full, but not in danger. Then the can's remaining food went back into a pouch and I watched the cat's slightly belled belly rise and fall with each snoring, purring breath. He lay full length on the deck like he hadn't a care in the world.

"He's sleeping," sighed Cora. "He never did that after eating before. He just usually yacked it all back up again."

"It is because this cat food came from Earth. It has all the proper enzymes and proteins an Earth cat needs." I sighed as well. Watching the cat sleep was oddly soothing. Then I looked at Cora sidelong. "I can take him with me, if you wish. I promise you I will not harm him."

She frowned. "Will mother just keep trying to hurt him? Because of her Yuoso birds?"

I debated for a moment before saying, "Three came before me. Doubtless, if the cat remains, more will come after."

Her brow furrowed as she thought. "Where will he go?"

"I was thinking about giving him to my son."

"Really? But what about proper proteins and stuff?" she demanded, drawing a smile from me.

"I have analyzed the food and found that Kahje's wildlife has a lot more in common with Earth creatures than Thessia's do. Certain protein strands are very similar. But if that fails, I can provide Tom with Terran cat food indefinitely." I spared a thought for Irikah's reaction, but convinced myself that I could talk her around, especially after she touched the cat.

Cora heaved a huge breath. "Well, he should be happy, and he's not happy here. I love him, but that's not enough."

"No, it isn't." I softened the words with a smile.

She stood and said, "I'll go get the crate." Reluctance dogged her steps as she strode into the house at my back. While she fetched the carrier, I got out my omnitool and scrolled through the extensive article provided to me by my human contact about the care and feeding of Felis Catus, the domestic cat. Quite the endeavor, but no doubt Kolyat could manage when I had to be absent.

The groggy cat let me cage him with little fuss. I believe he knew I was taking him somewhere better. Or hoped.

Shaking away fanciful thoughts, I looked down at Cora and said, "It was not your fault. None of it. The fault lies with those too prideful to believe they can learn anything from newcomers. To think, a simple inquiry on any of their parts would have cleared this mess up … and saved Tom the pain of terrible misunderstandings."

Cora seemed too moved for words as she, speechless, thrust her arms in the air for an embrace. I indulged and waved goodbye as I left the villa, cat carrier in hand. As the shuttle took me offworld, I pondered on the meaning of what transpired.

I successfully closed a contract without taking a life.

Perhaps that can be accomplished again. And again.

A/N: Oh my shit, I haven't touched this thing in ages. AGESSSS. But I had one of those epiphanies, you know. An idea of where to take it that would not let go. And now the main bit is done. Should I do one more? I'm gonna do a sad, if that happens. I just know it. And it's only fair I should take opinions, cuz this is a good stopping place. Happy, happy, with happy cat. Happy Thane. Happy(if bittersweet) Cora. What do you think? Edit: Crap, I keep having to pick over it for present tense oopses. I think I got'em all now. lol.